February 2 – The Double-Triple-Double

In the NBA, what is a Double-Triple-Double, and who is the only player in League history to ever achieve this rare feat?

First question first. We’ve all heard of Double-Doubles. Off the court, they are delicious West-coast burgers served in paper wrappers. On the court, they occur when a player racks up double-digit numbers (10 or more) in at least 2 statistical categories (points, assists, rebounds, steals, and/or blocked shots). Both are somewhat hard to come by, and both are cool, but neither is as rare as a Double-Triple-Double. In fact, in NBA history, there have been over 9,000 Double-Doubles, but only ONE Double-Triple-Double. This rare occurrence is defined as the accumulation of at least20 points in 3 of the 5 aforementioned categories.

And the only NBA player to ever pull it off? That distinction goes to the one and only Wilt Chamberlain, who on February 2, 1968, while playing for the Philadelphia ‘76ers, put up 22 points, pulled down 25 rebounds, and logged 21 assists against the Detroit Pistons on the way to beating them 131-121. Keeping in mind the fact that Chamberlain played at a time when steals and blocked shots were not recorded, it is all the more significant that nobody else has since come close to a Double-Triple-Double, even with the option of counting those two statistical categories.

thanks for reading,

francis

ps. Have you heard? In-N-Out >>> Texas!

Another of Wilt’s claims to fame: Acting alongside
the Governator in “Conan the Destroyer”